In efforts to boost sales of the suffering bottled water industry, trade organization, The International Bottled Water Association, has launched a campaign against what it calls “anti-bottled water activism on college campuses.”

In efforts to boost sales of the suffering bottled water industry, trade organization, The International Bottled Water Association, has launched a campaign against what it calls “anti-bottled water activism on college campuses.”

Titled “Student Activism: 101,” the video campaign addresses what it calls “a freedom of choice issue” over whether or not campuses have the right to ban the sale of bottled waters. The video compares the issue to how students used college campus in the past to protest against war, racism and other social injustices like Darfur and sweatshop labor.

IBWA President of Communications, Chris Hogan, said the restriction of bottled water removes the students’ freedom to choose packaged water and that “is a serious issue.” Citing it as “one of the healthiest beverages available in vending machines,” Hogan called the restriction a step backwards, “especially with the growing rates of obesity and diabetes in the U.S.”

With more than 90 college campuses now either banning or restricting the sale or distribution of bottled water, the IBWA has also launched a ‘pro-bottle’ internet campaign urging consumers to sign a petition and assert their “rights” to bottled water.

The issue over the sale of bottled water is complicated by several factors. Not only is the cost of the bottles deterring some purchases, but growing concern over chemicals like BPA—common in plastic—have redirected consumers to tap water and reusable containers made from less harmful substances.

But the industry insists bottled water is the victim and the real culprits are the sugary bottled juices, sodas and teas, which not only contribute to human health issues, but also have bigger carbon footprints than bottled water because of the use of a denser, heavier plastic than those typically used in bottled water.

In a growing trend sweeping across college campuses, more than 20 universities have implemented bans on plastic water bottles, and in some cases, banned all beverages sold in plastic bottles.

The move comes from support by an organization called Ban the Bottle, a non-profit focused on illuminating the environmental hazards and excessive costs of using plastic water bottles. According to Ban the Bottle, drinking the recommended eight glasses of water per day from the faucet costs each person less than 50 cents per year, but the same amount consumed through plastic costs approximately $1,400 per year. In 2010, the plastic bottle industry grossed more than $10.6 billion, according to NPR, with 5 percent growth in 2011. But the move away from plastic bottles is not only being embraced by college campuses. The Wall Street Journalreports that the $2.47 billion home water-filtration industry will grow by more than 18 percent between 2010 and 2013.

Still, controversy surrounds the Ban the Bottle campaign, with some students and universities supporting the ban and the construction of “water stations” across campuses, while others seek to reinstate banned bottles or prevent them from being eliminated from campuses in the first place, citing the bans as unconstitutional like the government banning the sale of plastic bottles throughout the country.

But besides the economic factors from the initial cost to the expense in trash removal, there are health concerns connected to exposure to plastic. Ban the Bottle reports the chemical antimony is found in most plastic bottles and has been linked to depression and dizziness, even death. Plastic bottles can also release BPA (bisphenol-A)—a highly controversial chemical now beginning to face bans and restrictions in countries including China, Canada and France. It’s classified as an endocrine disruptor for its ability to alter the endocrine system’s proper functioning, mimicking human hormones and leading to hormonal and behavioral issues.